Generally, sliding containers are provided in main bodies, for example, of furniture, refrigerators, a variety of storage cabinets, etc., in such a way that the sliding containers can be retractably pulled out of the main bodies in a sliding manner to enable objects to be stored in the containers.
Such a sliding container can be opened or closed by a sliding apparatus. In detail, space for installation of the container is formed in the main body. Parts of the sliding apparatus are respectively provided on inner side surfaces of the installation space and outer side surfaces of the container and are configured so as to be slidable relative to each other by means of rolling contact. For instance, when a user applies force to the container in a close direction, the container is inserted into the space of the main body by the sliding operation of the sliding apparatus and thus is closed. However, if a force excessively greater than force required to close the container is applied to the container, the container may be undesirably re-opened by repulsive force that is generated by collision between the parts of the sliding apparatus when the container is closed.
To overcome the above-mentioned problem, various kinds of automatic closing apparatuses configured such that a container can be automatically closed by elastic force have been introduced.
As a representative example of apparatuses for automatically closing such sliding containers, an under-mounting sliding apparatus was proposed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1114478, filed by the applicant of the present invention. The sliding apparatus of 10-1114478 includes: a housing body that is provided on a portion of a fixed rail and has therein a housing space which is open on upper and lower ends thereof; a guide wall that includes a curved guide part and a linear guide part disposed in the housing space formed in the housing body; a slider that is configured to be locked to or unlocked from a locking member of a movable rail and is guided by a guide wall; and an elastic body elastically coupled to the slider. However, the apparatus of 10-1114478 is problematic in that the container or objects stored in the container may be deformed or damaged by a shock generated when the container is moved in the close direction and then closed.